The go-home edition of Friday Night SmackDown in Perth, Australia, delivered two returns as Shinsuke Nakamura and Tama Tonga both made their first appearances on WWE television in months. Nakamura returned to answer Sami Zayn’s United States Championship open challenge, while Tonga made his presence felt by interfering in that very match, re-aligning himself with The Bloodline and leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
The main event segment of the Australian broadcast saw United States Champion Sami Zayn issue his weekly open challenge. The challenge was answered by the surprise return of Shinsuke Nakamura, who was making his first appearance since June. The two former NXT rivals had a hard-fought match that saw Nakamura come close to capturing the title after hitting a Kinshasa. However, as he went for the pin, he was attacked by a hooded figure who was revealed to be the returning Tama Tonga, causing a disqualification.
The post-match scene saw the full force of the new Bloodline on display. Tonga was joined by his family members, Talla Tonga, Tanga Loa, and JC Mateo, as they launched a vicious four-on-one assault on both Nakamura and Zayn. The beatdown was orchestrated by Solo Sikoa, who had been the United States Champion before losing the title to Zayn in August.
Sikoa made his way to the ring to stand tall over the fallen bodies of his two rivals, sending a clear message to the entire WWE roster. For Nakamura, it was a return to his old “Rising Sun” theme music and a babyface presentation, a welcome change for many fans. Before their returns, both Nakamura and Tonga had been off WWE television for extended periods. Nakamura’s absence was reportedly due to a lack of creative plans, while Tonga had been rumored to be dealing with an undisclosed injury since April.
NAKAMURA ANSWERS THE US OPEN CHALLENGE
AND HE'S GOT HIS OLD THEME SONG BACK ❤️#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/4GGUnqFgKp
— The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) October 10, 2025
